Wheel



Jan. 26, 1932. I s, MARTINEZ 1,842,532

WHEEL Filed March '29. 1930 Inventor .dttarney.

Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEODDRG SANMARTI MARTINEZ, OF SABADELL, BARCELONA, SPAIN WHEEL Application filed March 29, 1930, Serial No. 440,079, and in Spain April 20, 1929.

This invention relates to wheels especially those intended for motor vehicles, in which the reaction effects are obtained by means of an elastic body constituted of pieces of ind iarubber.

The invention is characterized essentially in that the indiarubber is mounted respectively within chambers, in such manner that each indiarubber part acts on two of the wheel spokes whereby the annular rim is held mobile upon the central drum, so that the force acting on one spoke afl'ects the next. The wheel is thus adapted effectively to with stand road shock.

The invention is illustrated in the acco1npanying drawings which represent by way cl example some methods of carrying out the invention.

According to one construction the elastic iudiarubber parts are subjected to com pression and expansion to one side then to the other, so that; the indiarubber parts are not deformed as is the case in similar known arrangemcnts in which the indiarubber parts are always subject to stresses at one point and in one direction, whereby they soon become deformed and their elasticity is im paired.

The invention comprises the features hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of half a wheel, partly in section.

Figure 2 is a transverse partial section corresponding to Figure 1 along the axis of one of the spokes.

Figure 3 is a detail view on a larger scale and in vertical projection oi the bracket bearings hereinafter more fully described.

Figure l illustrates a modification in construction and is a sectional side elevation of part of a wheel.

According to the construction illustrated in Figure 1, a central drum 1 is provided which supports the mobile rim 2. By such a construction the rim 2 is adapted to move relatively to the drum 1 under road shock.

On the rim 2 are bracket bearings such as 3 which serve as supports or couplings for tubular sleeves 41: in which are respectively mounted rods 5 in such manner that the rods may have an axial movement within the sleeves.

The bracket bearings 3 may be secured to the rim 2 by means of bolts 6 and 7 The sleeves 1 are closed at the outer end; The bracket bearings 3 are constructed in a manner such as represented in Figure 3, that is to say as a body 8 which has a half knucklejoint seating 9 into which fits a half-knucklejoint 10 integral with the sleeve 4:. In this 60 way the tubular sleeve 4 and the rod 5 fitted therein may have an oscillatory movement in the bracket bearing 3, so that the rod 5 is subjected to a movenient composed of this oscillating movement and a rectilinear move ment in the sleeve l. To ensure the adj ustment of the half knuckle-joint 10 in the seating 9, a sheet-iron covering 11 is applied, which is supported on a projection 12 also v integral with the sleeve l on the opposite 2 side to the half knuckle-joint 10. This covering 11 is secured by means of the nuts 13 and 1 1 to the shanks 15 and 16 of bolts 6 and 7 which serve to secure the bearing 3 on the rim 2; The projection 12 also serves to carry an oil or grease cup 12 by which lubricant may be introduced into the bore of the rods 5 through passages formed in the said projection and the said rod. The rods 5 are articulated by means of bolts 19 to the central drum 1 of the wheel and have out wardly extending parts 20 and 21 which are supported on indiarubber parts or buffers 22 and 23 respectively. These parts or bufi ers 22, 23 are lodged in casings 24 and 25, respectively, which casings are rigidly secured to the drum 1 by screws 26. In the reconstruction illustratcd each of the indiarubber parts or buffers 22 and 23 is engaged by two of the outwardly extending parts 20 and 21 respectively, but these two parts 20 and 21 correspond to the rods 5 of a different set, in such a manner that the stress imposed by the outwardly extending part of one rod is communicatcd through the indiarubber part or buffer to the corresponding outwardly extending part of the next rod beside it and it is from the relation of: these respective parts that the elasticity of the wheel or its rim is derived.

respect to the'drum 1 under road shock.

As the casings 24 and 25 are closed the parts or buffers 22 and 23 may only expand in the direction of the supports formed by the outwardly extending parts 20 and 21, which renders the said parts or buffers efl'ective.

Each wheel may be provided with a number of bracket bearings 3 with their corresponding tubular members 4, rods 5 and other connected parts.

The rim 2 is completed by an additional part 24 which rim as well as the part 24 may have curved parts 25 and 26 forming a groove for the reception of the encircling ring of indiarubber27 which may be solid or hollow, as also may be the indiarubber parts or buffers 22 and 23.

The additional part 24 is fixed to the rim 2 by means of bolts such as 28, which also fasten the plate 29 which has an opening 30 to allow the movements'of the rim with 31 shows the hub of the wheel to which the central drum 1 is fixed by means of screwssuch as 32. Figure 4 represents'a modification having a reversed arrangement of the component parts. In this modification the bracket bearings 3 are mounted on the central drum 1 and the indiarubber parts or buffers39 and 40 on the mobile rim 2. The efi'ects produced are similar to those hereinbefore described. In this case the outwardly extending parts 37 and 38 have a definite inclination and are reinforced with ribs 33 and 34-, as for example joint seatings and cylindrical casings for the spoke elements, said casings being provided with projections to engage the said seatings.

4. An elastic wheel according to claim 1, provided with guide brackets with knuckle joint seatings and cylindrical casings for the spoke elements, said casings being provided with projections to engage the said seatings, and covering plates engaging the said casings and secured to the said guide brackets.

TEODORO SANMARTI MARTINEZ.

when the wheels are used on heavy vehicles.

When once the tubular parts a are provided with lubricant the joint between these tubular parts and the rods are left lubricated, the lubricant passing the orifices such as 35 and thence passing into channels 36 extending longitudinally the length of the rods and emerging at the pivotal axis of the bolts 19 at the ends of the said rods which carry the outwardly extending parts 20 and 21.

According to the invention when indiarubher part or buffer, for example the part or buffer 22, undergoes compression from an outwardly extending part such as 21, it is compressed on the side in contact with the said part, and is relieved on the side at which the outwardly extending part ofthe next adjacent rod is supported. and vice versa: whence it follows that the indiarubber parts or buffers are submitted to a succession of alternating stresses at difierent positionsand that as a consequence their shape and elasticity are maintained.

I claim 1. An elastic wheel comprising inner and outer concentric and relatively movable parts, radial spoke elements pivoted to one of the said parts, guide brackets on the other of the said parts with which the said spoke elements slidably engage, and a plurality of 

